Psychiatrist Research Education & Training in Drug Abuse

Ut Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of the Psychiatrist Research Education and Training in Drug Abuse (PRETDA) is the preparation and production of pre-baccalaureate, medical students General Psychiatry residents and Addiction Psychiatry advanced residents in a broad range of clinical and basic science methods relevant to drug abuse research. The program fills an important national need by increasing the number of clinical and basic science researchers in the drug abuse field, in particular, physician scientists in psychiatry. The goal of the student section of PRETDA is to generate interest in basic and clinical drug abuse research among college and medical school students, where intensive efforts must begin. The goal of the general and advanced resident section is to produce academic psychiatrists who will pursue careers as clinical and basic researchers in the broad array of drug abuse areas. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSWMC) Department of Psychiatry Residency Training Program has conducted a research track for over 15 years. Recently, it has expanded from nine months to 16 months of research experience per resident. Similarly, the Department has recently expanded its pre-med and medical student programs from three students per year to nine;however, all of these trainees are funded for general psychiatric research. PRETDA will enable the Department to add a major drug abuse focus to its efforts, thus preparing a longitudinal continuum of psychiatric trainees to develop into strong basic and clinical researchers in substance abuse. In addition, it will enable the resident research track to be extended to include the Department's Addiction Psychiatry fellows, creating a research track in that advanced residency. The UTSWMC Department of Psychiatry has long had a richness of resources in clinical drug abuse research that has attracted residents and medical students to it, and has more recently built an outstanding program in basic neuroscience relevant to substance abuse. This includes strong linkages to other Basic Science Departments at UTSWMC. Together, these features place the UTSWMC Department of Psychiatry in an ideal position to stimulate and train the next generation of psychiatric basic and clinical researchers in drug abuse.